The present invention pertains to a container suitable for packaging food items which container comprises two complementary container pieces, a tray and a cover closable over the tray, with each container piece having opposing sidewalls with tip portions which project longitudinally outwardly over the central portions of such sidewalls to interlock with like tip portions on the complementary piece to securely close the container.
In the art of packaging emphasis has been placed on constructing two-piece, tray-type cartons or containers for items, particularly food items, which may be easily joined together to enclose the item. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,062 discloses a combination tray and cover adapted for interlocking to contain an article. According to the patentee, the tray and cover preferably are constructed from blanks of identical size and contour. The sidewalls of each tray and cover piece include, located at the top edge thereof, a locking tab having a male portion delineated by a slit and a guide tab. To interlock the tray and cover, the cover is positioned over the tray so that the locking tabs of the two pieces are placed in contact. Thereafter, the cove is rotated with respect to the tray until the male portions of the locking tabs of each piece lockingly engage in the slits of the other piece. The cover can be removed by twisting in the opposite rotational direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,265 is another example of a container including top and bottom members which are fabricated from a common blank to be reversible. Each tray is provided with a pair of upstanding, opposed end walls of one height and adjacent upstanding, opposed sidewalls having a lower height. To package an article, the trays are oriented with their openings facing and are then rotated 90.degree. with respect to each other and brought together so that the higher end walls of one tray overlap and telescope over the shorter sidewalls of the other to complete the container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,324 there is shown another telescoping carton wherein the tray and cover pieces can be formed from the same blank. The blanks for the pieces are provided with additional score lines so that the corners of the piece serving as the tray piece can be "pinched" together to permit the cover to telescope over the tray piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,538 is a further example of a carton having identical, tray-like components. Each component is adapted for hingeable and latchable attachment. According to the patentee, since the components are identical, they are nestable, stackable and interchangeable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,354 shows yet another tray and telescoping cover formed from similar blanks. Still other containers and food cartons are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,926,362; 4,431,128; and 4,339,068.